SF hears final construction update on school

New teachers, board members and administrators gather for a welcome dinner prior to the Aug. 20 school board meeting.
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“The building has turned out magnificently,” Brennan said. In addition, he said change orders to the project were minimal at a total of less than $130,000.

Brennan presented a few change orders to the board that will be voted upon Aug. 27.

One change order included $5,124 from general contractor Massaro Corp. to install 48 square inches of overflow drainage scuppers on the roof of the building. Brennan said if there were no scuppers on the roof the downspouts would fill with water when it would rain. The scuppers will enable the excess water to flow off the roof. The change is a code requirement.

A total of $5,630 in change orders came from Merit Electric and included adding an access control panel for a door, a fire alarm monitoring system for the sprinkler system in Area C of the building, a pressure sensor for a fire alarm and power to a door in Area C as well as power for the pressure pump for the dry sprinkler system in a portion of the building.

Other items that still need to be completed in the new building are to touch up paint in some areas and switch out white boards in the classrooms for different ones and also to swap out stools in the STEAM rooms for shorter ones.

The digital sign for outside the pupil services building was set to be installed Aug. 21.

Brennan said the work will be completed after school and on the weekends if necessary.

“We will not interrupt school,” Brennan said.

During his presentation, a couple of board members asked about the status of the athletic field behind the new school. Brennan said the field was in the process of being graded.

Board member Leonard Fornella asked if sprinklers could be added to the field and if it could be expanded so it could be used by more sports teams.

“Now’s the time to do it if we’re going to do it,” Fornella said.

Board member Alan Vezzi agreed saying that if the equipment is there to do it now, “we should do it.”

Vezzi added that before the field is hydro-seeded, the board should consider expanding it.

“I think it’s worth a review,” Vezzi said.

Fornella added, “Let’s get an estimate of the cost to expand and put in sprinklers.”

Superintendent Dr. Bille Rondinelli directed Brennan to get an estimate of the cost to expand and add sprinklers to the field for review at the board’s Aug. 27 meeting.

Prior to the meeting, the board and administrators welcomed approximately 25 new teachers during a reception. New and returning teachers successfully completed a variety of opening day activities prior to the start of school.